Statement on Salisbury-Sudans Partnership, February 2015

The partnership between Salisbury and the Episcopal Church of South Sudan & Sudan is longstanding and deeply rooted. What started as informed prayer leading to financial giving has led to a broad range of relationships deeply embedded in the life of the Church here and there.

Diocesan Synod is aware of difficulties in the relationship connected with the debates within the Anglican Communion on human sexuality. In this my personal views are a difficulty for the Archbishop of the Sudan. I therefore asked the Bishop of Sherborne to work with the Sudanese House of Bishops to rebuild the relationship that had become strained over this matter. Bishop Graham and John Foster went to the House of Bishops’ meeting in Kajo Keji in November. They took with them a draft Memorandum of Understanding which we hoped would be the basis of establishing an agreed framework within which the relationship would continue. They were warmly received personally and many greetings were given. However, the link between the Province and the Diocese of Salisbury has been suspended by Archbishop Daniel.

The consequence is that we are unable to send donations to the Province of the ECSS&S. We will continue to work closely with Christian Aid and their Sudanese partners. This has been greatly assisted by Robert Heywood of Sherborne Abbey who has worked for many years with Christian Aid in South Sudan. They distributed the £48,000 humanitarian aid raised through our Lent Appeal. In this there has been a high level of accountability.

The Medical Link and Advocacy initiatives continue as before, but our Education activities (supporting theological colleges and Church Schools) are more seriously affected and the Sudan Committee is exploring creative ways to overcome these challenges. Our Deanery-to-Diocese Links have their own momentum but some may need negotiation in the light of the Archbishop’s decision. There continue to be personal links and visits which contribute greatly to sustain the relationships between the diocese and the church in the Sudans.

Money raised from collections at Episcopal services (Confirmations, ordinations and the licensings) will now “support the people of the South Sudan and Sudan with whom we have a long standing partnership”.

Our strong commitment to this partnership continues and the needs of the Sudans are as great as ever. We will continue to pray for the partnership, Archbishop Daniel, the Episcopal Church and for the people of the South Sudan and Sudan.

+Nicholas Sarum